Central Java was struck by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on 27 May 2006, just outside the city of Bantul, 20km south of Jogjakarta. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced as a result and over 50,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. The 5-man medical team that had been sent to support the Mt Merapi relief efforts was therefore diverted to Bantul for immediate aid intervention. A second team with 10 medical personnel and 1 logistician was deployed a few days later to support the local hospital in Bantul. The team worked at the A&E department treating victims needing bone casting and stitching for open wounds. They also helped train the local doctors in reading X-rays and casting procedures, thereby building the capacity of the local medical team. In addition, MR implemented the “back to school” programme for the children, which included the distribution of more than 500 sets of school uniforms, 600 play packs and school bags at two schools.

About Mercy Relief

Mercy Relief is a Singaporean humanitarian organisation which engages in both disaster relief and sustainable development programmes. It was established in 2003 as an independent non-governmental humanitarian charity responding to the human tragedies in Asia. Mercy Relief’s aid programme focuses on providing timely and effective assistance to disaster-stricken communities and has maintained the delivery of emergency aid within 72 hours from the point of appeal for assistance.  

In the past 12 years, Mercy Relief has disbursed over S$32 million in aid across 40 disaster relief and 53 sustainable development initiatives. Mercy Relief has impacted an aggregate of 2 million lives in 24 countries and areas, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal,  Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Yemen.

For more information, you may call us at 6514 6322 or email corporateaffairs@mercyrelief.org

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